What Are the Hours for Red Lobster Restaurants? A Guide to Their Opening Times

Red Lobster is one of America’s most popular casual dining seafood restaurant chains. Known for dishes like Cheddar Bay Biscuits and the Ultimate Feast, Red Lobster has been a go-to for special occasions and family meals for over 50 years.

But before heading to your local Red Lobster, it’s important to know their hours of operation so you can plan your visit at a time when they are open. Hours can also vary by specific location.

In this article, we provide a complete guide to Red Lobster’s hours for both dine-in and takeout We’ll cover key details like weekday versus weekend hours, seasonal variations, and how to check your local branch

Overview of Red Lobster Hours

Most Red Lobster locations are open 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner. Their core hours are:

• Monday – Thursday: 11:00am to 10:00pm
• Friday: 11:00am to 11:00pm
• Saturday: 11:00am to 11:00pm
• Sunday: 11:00am to 10:00pm

However, hours are subject to change for holidays, seasonal adjustments, and by individual restaurant location. Busier urban branches may also stay open an hour later on weekends.

During peak dining times like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Father’s Day, many Red Lobsters will open an hour early at 10:00am to accommodate higher demand.

It’s always wise to check your specific location for their most up-to-date hours for dine-in and takeout.

Dine-In vs Takeout Hours

One key distinguisher is that Red Lobster’s dine-in and takeout hours are not exactly the same

• Dine-in hours Match the core opening hours listed earlier This is when you can sit and dine inside the restaurant

• Takeout hours: Often open 1-2 hours before the standard opening time, so you can place to-go orders earlier. Takeout then closes 1 hour before dine-in closing time.

For example, dine-in may open at 11:00am but takeout could open as early as 9:00 or 10:00am for ordering. This allows you to grab food on your schedule.

How Holidays and Special Events Affect Hours

On certain holidays and special events throughout the year, Red Lobster will adjust their standard opening hours:

• New Year’s Eve: Open normal hours

• New Year’s Day: Opens late afternoon/evening, often around 3pm or 4pm

• Easter Sunday: Opens early, usually around 9am or 10am

• Mother’s Day: Opens an hour early at 10am for their busiest day of the year

• Memorial Day: Regular opening hours

• Father’s Day: Opens early at 10am for another very busy day

• July 4th: Normal opening hours, may close an hour early

• Labor Day: Regular hours

• Thanksgiving Day: Closed

• Black Friday: Opens early around 9am or 10am

• Christmas Eve: Often closes a little early, around 9pm

• Christmas Day: Closed

Of course it’s wise to verify with your own local Red Lobster for specific holiday hours, as they can vary. Fridays and Saturdays tend to have later closing times year-round.

How to Check Red Lobster Hours for a Specific Location

To get the exact open hours for the Red Lobster restaurant near you, you have a few options:

• Check online: Go to www.redlobster.com and click on “Find a Location” to search for your city or zip code. Select your Red Lobster and their hours will be listed.

• Call the restaurant: Locate the phone number on their website or Google listing and call to ask about current hours.

• Check social media pages: Many Red Lobster locations maintain Facebook pages that list hours of operation. Search “[Your City] Red Lobster” to find their page.

• Visit in person: Drive by your Red Lobster to view their posted store hours on the door or window.

• Ask Google: Search “Red Lobster [your city]” and often Google will display the hours of that specific location right in the knowledge panel result.

Hours can change seasonally, so always check first for live accuracy before heading to Red Lobster. Don’t rely on old printed menus or flyers for hours.

Factors That Influence Individual Restaurant Hours

Why might the Red Lobster in your town have different hours than your friend’s location across the state? There are a few key factors:

• State or local laws: Some places restrict late night or 24/7 restaurant openings, impacting hours.

• Volume of customers: Busier urban locations or highly trafficked spots stay open later to meet demand.

• Staffing availability: A shortage of hourly workers can force reduced hours.

• Franchise policies: Franchise owners may set location-specific hours based on their management policies.

• Special events: A restaurant in a city hosting a big game or festival may extend hours to capture traffic.

So be sure to look up the hours for your nearest Red Lobster instead of assuming they match others in different towns and states.

Helpful Tips for Planning Your Red Lobster Visit

Now that you know the typical Red Lobster hours of operation, here are some tips for planning your visit:

• For fastest service, avoid peak rush times like Fridays at 7pm or Sundays after church. Opt for earlier or later.

• Takeout can be picked up well before official dine-in opening, so order ahead if you want to eat early.

• Holidays like Mother’s Day see long wait times, so book reservations in advance.

• Give them a call if you’ll be dining with a large party, as they may have availability limits.

• If you’re dining late near closing time, give them a courtesy call first to make sure they didn’t close early.

• Allow extra driving time on holidays when they open early to beat the crowds.

• Before making a long drive, call ahead to confirm they didn’t modify hours for weather or other factors.

Summary of Key Points on Red Lobster Opening Hours

To recap the key details on Red Lobster restaurant hours:

• Core dine-in hours are 11am to 10pm Sun-Thurs, 11am to 11pm Fri-Sat

• Takeout hours often start 1-2 hours before dine-in opening

• Holiday and special event hours may vary from standard hours

• Hours can differ by location based on factors like customer demand

• Always check your specific restaurant right before going

• Dine at off-peak times for quicker service

Armed with this knowledge, you can now easily check if your local Red Lobster is open before heading over to enjoy their famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Remembering to verify live hours first will ensure you don’t make a wasted trip or miss out on their delicious seafood offerings.